How to Obtain an FFL & SOT
Congress created a number of new firearm laws with the National Firearms Act of 1934. Any merchant involved in buying and selling firearms now had to be licensed by the federal government. The Federal Firearm License (FFL) established the applicant as a legal firearms dealer once they have been approved for the license.
The act also prohibited citizens from owning a fully-automatic firearm such as a Thompson machine gun without paying for a special license. An federal firearms licensee who wanted to sell these types of weapons had to pay a Special (Occupational) Tax (SOT) which is valid for one year. Once approved for an FFL, obtaining the SOT is easily done, if qualified.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Federal Firearm License application
- $200 Federal Firearm License application fee
- Fingerprint impressions
- Two passport-style photos
- Special (Occupational) Tax application
- $500 Special (Occupational) Tax application fee
Instructions
-
-
1
Download a Federal Firearms License application, ATF Form 4473, from the ATF website. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) "e-Form 4473" is designed to help an applicant complete the form without errors.
-
2
Complete the form with the requested information. You must certify that you are 21-years-old or older, not a drug user, mentally stable, not a subject of a court order of protection and have not been convicted of any felonies . You must be a U.S. citizen. Your business must have regular hours and a physical location.
-
-
3
Send the form in with the required fee, fingerprint card, and passport-style photos. Wait several weeks for the approval to be returned.
-
4
Send an email to eps@atf.gov requesting a Special (Occupational) Tax (SOT) form after the FFL has been returned approved.
-
5
Complete the form with the requested information. It is similar to the FFL Form 4473. Mail the completed form with the $500 fee to:
National Firearms Act Branch
244 Needy Rd.
Martinsburg, West Virginia 25405.
If approved, it will be returned within 12 weeks.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Having a SOT licenses does not enable the individual to privately own a Class 3 weapon. This requires a private license.
References
- Photo Credit machine gun kalashnikov on the tripod and optical image by Vladimir Melnik from Fotolia.com
